Monday, 8 February 2010

Frozen

Reason to see: Totally has that simple-idea-that-could-make-an-amazing-horror-film vibe

Now every once in a while a film comes out and it not only meets but actually exceeds expectations. Frozen is an exceeds expectations film. I knew that I would be seeing it from just moment into watching the trailer, in fact I didn't even watch the whole trailer because I was sold in just seconds (and I wouldn't recommend watching all of it if you are interested in the film). The promising and horrifying premise of friends stuck on a ski lift was more than enough to get me interested, in the theatre and making sure I was wearing something really warm to sit through the experience.

The brilliance of the film is, it doesn't rely on just being a good premise to be a good film. It builds on that with a great script that builds up the heart of the film: the characters. There are lots of horror films out there where you really are meant to not care or even like the characters. Not here. I felt like I knew exactly who Parker (Emma Bell), Dan (Kevin Zegers) and Lynch (Shawn Ashmore) were and you better believe that I cared about them. The characters are a completely believable trio and everyone great performances, although I was particularly impressed with Shawn Ashmore (Bobby/Iceman from the X-Men films).

The horror elements of the film are pitch perfect. The pacing is perfect, the tension builds subtly and it has a great balance of keeping you guessing on some things and leading up to others. It goes without saying that it's a film that you really don't want to know too much about, so I'm certainly not going to spoil the fun. It really hits all the marks of a great horror film and it was great to see it at the theatre with an audience that gasping and cringing at all the right moments. I definitely felt amongst my tribe while watching this truly awesome horror film. If you've liked any horror ever, see Frozen, you won't regret it.